Collection: Antico Pastificio Umbro

Antico Pastificio Umbro operates in central Umbria, in Foligno, an area historically linked to cereal cultivation and mixed agriculture. The surrounding landscape, extending toward Monte Subasio and the valleys between Assisi, Spello, and Spoleto, has long supported wheat, legumes, and olive trees. Pasta production in this part of Umbria developed as a practical response to that agricultural setting, shaped by availability, repetition, and domestic use.

Founded in 1994, Antico Pastificio Umbro did not emerge as a revival project or a reinterpretation of tradition. It developed out of direct experience with farming and grain cultivation, following practices that were already familiar in Umbrian households and small workshops throughout the twentieth century. The company’s history is tied to families who worked the land and understood the relationship between wheat, water, and time.

From Agriculture to Pasta Production

Before pasta became a product, it was a process. In Umbria, flour was milled locally, dough was prepared by hand, and shapes were determined by habit rather than codification. Antico Pastificio Umbro situates its work within this context. Early production took place on a small scale, with gradual expansion rather than rapid industrialisation.

In the early 2000s, the production site in Foligno was enlarged and modernised. The updates focused on improving efficiency, safety, and consistency while preserving established methods. Pasta production, drying, and packaging remain concentrated in the same facility, maintaining continuity of process rather than dispersing operations.

Raw Materials and Production Methods

Antico Pastificio Umbro uses Italian-grown wheat for its pasta, selecting durum wheat semolina for dry pasta and combining flour with eggs when producing egg-based shapes. Dough is mixed with water under controlled conditions, then shaped using bronze dies. Bronze extrusion produces a rough surface that affects how sauces adhere during cooking.

Drying takes place at low temperatures over extended periods. This method differs from high-temperature industrial drying and results in a pasta structure that remains compact and porous. The drying phase is closely monitored to ensure consistency across batches.

These methods are applied across multiple product lines, including the Classica, Tradizionale, and Artigiani Pastai Umbri ranges.

The Artigiani Pastai Umbri Line

The Artigiani Pastai Umbri line focuses on shapes associated with central Italian and Umbrian cooking habits. Among these are strangozzi, a long, rectangular-section pasta traditionally made without eggs, and wide ribbon shapes such as pappardelle. Larger formats like pennoni, conchiglioni, paccheri, and fusilloni are also included.

Some variations incorporate flavouring ingredients such as porcini mushrooms, chilli pepper, or truffle. These additions are blended into the dough rather than applied after drying. The base production method remains unchanged.

Packaging for this line uses paper materials and restrained graphic design, reflecting a functional rather than decorative approach.

Broader Product Range

Beyond pasta, Antico Pastificio Umbro produces polenta, couscous, risotto mixes, spices, and dried pulses. This wider range reflects the broader cereal-based food culture of inland Umbria, where grains and legumes historically formed the foundation of daily meals.

The expansion into these products occurred gradually, beginning in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as the company developed parallel production lines within the same facility.

Quality and Production Standards

The production site operates under internationally recognised food safety and quality standards. Processes are monitored to ensure consistency in raw material selection, shaping, drying, and packaging. Modern control systems manage temperature, humidity, and drying duration.

Environmental considerations have been incorporated into facility upgrades, including improved insulation and energy management systems.

Pasta in the Umbrian Context

Umbrian pasta traditions differ from those of coastal or court-influenced regions. Shapes are generally thicker, surfaces rougher, and sauces denser. Pasta is expected to absorb oil, hold meat-based condiments, and retain structure over prolonged cooking.

The shapes produced by Antico Pastificio Umbro reflect these expectations. Long formats such as strangozzi are suited to oil-based, tomato-based, or truffle sauces. Large tubular shapes accommodate ragù and vegetable-based condiments. Egg-based ribbons pair with meat sauces typical of inland cooking.

Fun Facts

• Strangozzi is one of the few pasta shapes consistently associated with Umbria and central Italy, traditionally made without eggs and cut by hand rather than rolled.
• Bronze extrusion was the standard method for shaping pasta before industrial steel dies became common in the mid-20th century.
• Low-temperature drying can take several times longer than industrial drying, depending on the shape and thickness of the pasta.
• Foligno has long been a logistical centre in Umbria due to its position at the intersection of valleys and trade routes.
• Polenta appears alongside pasta in Umbrian pantries because maize cultivation expanded significantly in central Italy from the 17th century onward.
• Flavoured pasta doughs incorporating ingredients such as porcini or chilli are a modern development built on traditional base techniques.